


Bonding

by LaMarwy



Series: The Ingricent Chronicles [2]
Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Bonding, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Ingricent, One Shot Collection, they're dorks anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 14:02:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21477556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaMarwy/pseuds/LaMarwy
Summary: Ingrith and Maleficent try to get along.
Relationships: Ingrith/Maleficent (Disney)
Series: The Ingricent Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537843
Comments: 8
Kudos: 64





	Bonding

2\. BONDING

Several weeks had passed since Ingrith had been kindly exiled into the Moors under Maleficent’s cares and the fae, though without showing it, was profoundly impressed by her behaviour: the former Queen had pledged herself to befriend every creature, from the biggest to the smallest and, after a long period of adjustment, the fair folks seemed to have finally accepted her presence.

She would watch in silence as the woman let herself stare in awe when the sunset hit sideways the highest mountain of the north, the colors and the light creating dancing reflection on the snow, ice glimmering and sparkling for hours to end.

Maleficent sighed, her eyes lost on the distant shapes of the trees near where the border had been, engulfed within the dense mist of the morning. It was curious how she woke up earlier every day, a strange eager to start the day vibrating in her bones, making her wings twitch.

It had been years since she’d felt like that. It had happened after a while she had decided to reveal herself to Aurora and from the day the girl had decided to visit the Moors every night. Perhaps having another human thirsty to discover all the wonders that laid secret in that magical land, worked on her enthusiasm and boosted her mood. It was a pleasant surprise since she’d thought that her life would’ve been incredibly hollow and lonely without Aurora by her side as it had been for the past twenty-one years.

Ingrith, however, and clearly, couldn’t compete with Aurora. But she had revealed herself to be quite a good distraction nonetheless. Forced or not, she was proving herself willing to know and learn and her interest, perhaps, was the thing affecting most her own mood, because, everything aside, that woman was surprising.

As often happened, Maleficent brooded on her first night in the Moors. The episode with the berries had left her speechless, to say the least. It had been funny, at first, but then the fae had to question everything, because if she hadn’t gotten herself drunk with those magical berries, why did she say those things? On the next morning, however, when asked, Ingrith had claimed not to remember a thing. Maybe she’d been exhausted and her brain had simulated an intoxication, or perhaps she had been the exhausted one and mistaken the tipsy berries with blackcurrant. The fact was, every morning and every night – and every other free moment to be exact – her mind seemed to go repeat those minutes over and over again.

Almost as if she _wanted_ for the forgotten words of a confused woman to mean something. If that was true, her loneliness and desperation for Aurora’s loss were becoming a serious matter. She frowned to herself and tucked her own wings around her own body, forcing herself to push back all those absurd thoughts.

“So this is where you come to hide?”

Maleficent crooked an eyebrow, tilting her head toward the source of that unexpected noise. Locking her glowing eyes on one nearby branch, she first saw pale fingers gripping the wood and then, seconds later, blond hair popping out from below.

The fae propped herself up, suddenly at a loss of words as Ingrith heaved herself up on the branch as well, joining her with short breath and sporting a satisfied grin on her thin lips. Imagining her climbing the cliff bare hands and then the tree was amusing, in a way, but on the other hand, it only proved that Ingrith was in excellent shape; no wonder she’d lead an entire army with an iron fist. Maybe she had judged her wrongly. The former Queen had been ready to join the fight herself, if necessary, and she was not just intelligent, but devoted to her own cause with her body as well. She didn’t know exactly why, but she was indeed praising silently her mind and physicality; how odd. But how could she not, when they were so similar? Hadn’t she fought too to protect the Moors, in the past? Despite her horrible intentions, Maleficent’s respect could only grow. They had been both unafraid to die for their oaths.

And now, Ingrith was devoting herself to a new one.

Obeying to the new Queen’s wish, she was pledging herself to know the infinite beauty of the Moors. Her commitment had been proved to be admirable, seen her initial hatred and disgust toward the fair folks, but what Maleficent hadn’t expected, was to find the woman on her tree so early in the morning, clearly eager to start the day as well.

Ingirth sat on her heels and dug her hands on the little pouch she kept on the belt of the waist and offered her hand to the fae, disclosing her fingers slowly. “I brought you some berries,” She announced timidly, shrugging her shoulders. “you know, to thank you for the cottage-”

Lowering her glance, Maleficent took a quick look at what she was holding and, without thinking twice nor letting her finish, she untucked her wings and slapped Ingrith on her wrist.

The berries flew away, dropping silently down the cliff, without leaving any trace.

Ingrith stared with her mouth agape, a faint pout on her face. “Well, if you didn’t want them you just had to say it!” She spat sorely, slightly offended and folding her arms angrily in front of her.

The sudden movement, however, combined with an unexpected gush of a passing headwind, made her stumble backward and inevitably the woman lost her balance in a blink.

Maleficent immediately took action and grabbed her by her wrist, saving the woman from a deadly fall. They were on the highest tree of the highest mountain: falling from there was comparable to an immediate death sentence.

She pulled gently back toward herself until Ingrith was perched safely on the branch beside her but, somehow, her fingers wouldn’t let her go just yet. Had it been just the scare of the moment to make her heart beat so fast? Or was it the surprise of finding the woman’s skin so soft under her fingertips? And why did Ingrith was staring so intensely into her eyes, fright and relief chasing each other in constant succession, making her face look improbably grateful? It all had happened so fast that her brain struggled to form any coherent thought.

They gazed at each other for a long, long moment, without either of them making a single sound. Then, all of a sudden, time seemed to move again.

Unfolding her fingers all at once and forcing herself to aver her eyes from the still quivering woman, Maleficent inhaled sharply, wings neatly tucked behind and straight back.  
“You brought us belladonna. We’d be dead within seconds.” She spat with no emotion, pushing back all the questions and illogic thoughts in the back of her mind. Of course, asking if she was alright was out of the question.

Shaking the fright off of her, Ingrith mumbled something very close to apologies. She decided not to dwell much on the use of ‘us’ because, it was true that she’d brought _them_ berries and when she woke up early that morning to pick food for _them_ to share, she’d also had the idea of sharing breakfast with Maleficent, though not platonically, lingering somewhere in her head.

Now that she thought clearly about her actions – wanting to thank her for the cottage she’d made at the feet of her own favorite cliff, gathering food to share with her, climbing mountains and trees with her bare hands – everything appeared quite odd. She had never even walked alongside her husband since their marriage, for crying out loud, and she had done _that_ for Maleficent. Either she’d grown soft living with those little magical beings or she’d gone completely insane. And to think that everything had felt so spontaneous and natural, almost like she hadn’t had plan a thing! That was beyond odd.

“Thank you.” She mumbled tentatively, frowning because she herself didn’t know exactly for what was she thanking Maleficent for. The cottage, the clothes, the new life offered and which she had just saved? Everything was the correct answer, but how to repay her, now that was a great mystery. Could she even hope to repay her?

“What are we doing today?” Asked Ingrith suddenly, her voice low but still bearing the eagerness to learn.

Maleficent looked at her with the corner of her eye. “_I_ have to scout over the border, today.” She sighed, scanning with narrowed eyes to the horizon. “I’m waiting for the mist to thin out.”

“Oh.” Mumbled the woman, curling up in her shoulders. Suddenly she felt sad at the thought of Maleficent doing something that would not involve her as well. The fae had mentioned visiting the eastern forest before noon, the other day, so they could work on the cause of the illness that had started to affect some magical mushroom. Also, hadn't she checked the border already? “Didn’t you do it yesterday?”

Maleficent’s expression seemed to be unaffected and yet the former Queen had learned to read that faint twitch of the upper spur of her wings whenever she had been exposed. She had done the same the night that Knotgrass had turned purple and Aurora had glared at Maleficent who had claimed not to have nothing to do with it. On that occasion, she had also had a grin that was far from innocent, but it had been one of her playful jokes. This was different: she was trying to protect herself.

Maybe she wanted to be alone. To think. It was rare to find Maleficent so pensive, she’d noticed since she was always on the go, eager to get busy with solving each problem that might pop up. Today she looked sorrowful.

Perhaps for something she did? Maybe it was not with something material that she could help, but rather dealing with something that clearly belonged to humans more than to faeries. Ingrith could condole her trusting issues, but also there was no harm in trying. “Are you worried about something?”

Maleficent frowned. She didn’t like the question and, most of all, she didn’t like the fact that Ingrith was revealing herself to be far more attentive then she thought she could be. The fae would have never believed to be controlled by her and in a rather caring way too.

Humans' emotions and vexations didn’t belong to her kind and yet, knowing Aurora, taking care of her, raising her and loving her, had awakened things within her soul that, because of her nature, she had troubles understand and cope with. First the peaceful life within the Moors, then the betrayal of a man, the loneliness, the vengeance, the forgiveness and the love of a girl she was supposed to hate, the loss of the same girl and now... Ingrith that was revolutionizing her whole world yet another time. Was there still something she had to learn?

“You’re thinking about Aurora.” Tried Ingrith, with a careful voice.

“Aurora?” She repeated blankly. And how could she not? She was always thinking about the girl that had been her whole life for so long. But no, not this particular occasion, she wasn't.

“I can’t blame you for not trusting people- I mean, humans.” Sighed the woman. “They have deceived you so many times in so many ways.”

“But, nonetheless, I should trust you now?” Maleficent snarled, matter-of-factly.

“Well,” The woman took a sharp breath. “I thought about it. The reason why Aurora wanted us to spend time together.” She paused for a moment, looking sideways at the fae. “I need to know the fair folks to understand the evil I was doing, while you-”

“Me?” Maleficent arched her eyebrow, faintly upset about the implication that she had to learn something back from Ingrith. But of course, she had to foresee that Aurora was planning everything since the beginning – clever little Beastie.

“_You_ –” Ingrith continued. “need to have a human beside you to help you cope with your conflicting natures. Because thanks to Aurora you’re a fae with human feelings – and your raven does not suffice. You need someone who understands you, _really_ understands you.”

Maleficent stared, her lips parted, unable to say a word. Everything now made oddly sense. The fae had believed that Ingrith was the only one to gain something from that arrangement, but Aurora had thought of everything: taking care of a clueless, needy human being was the thing that had kept her sane and made her grow and become better over the years. And even though Aurora already knew, maybe, that their time together wouldn’t have lasted forever, she couldn’t say the same about Ingrith.

What an odd but well-assembled pair, they would be, if they’d decided indeed to indulge Aurora’s silent wish and spend the rest of their days together, wandering in the Moors like the free, untamed spirits they were. At the end, who knows, she might even learn to trust Ingrith and vice versa, treating each other like true equals.

“We’re similar, you and me.” Said Ingrith, this time, looking straight into her eyes, her voice not faltering once. “If we’d just stop bickering, I believe we would get along just fine.”

Maleficent inhaled almost imperceptibility and hinted what the woman recognized as the shadow of a smile. “Where all this wisdom is coming from?”

Ingrith smirked and shrugged playfully her shoulders. “You’ll have to find out yourself.” She murmured, her voice bearing the faint shade of the challenge.

**Author's Note:**

> The Hunger Games, 2012:  
"That's nightlock Peeta! You will be dead in a minute."


End file.
